Becoming the Archetype is an American

Christian metal Christian metal, also known as white metal, Jesus metal or heavenly metal, is heavy metal music distinguished by its Christian themed song lyrics and the dedication of the band members to Christianity. Christian metal is typically performed by ...

band formed in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

, in 1999. They have released five albums on Solid State Records. '' Dichotomy'', which was released in November 2008, sold around 2,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to

Nielsen Soundscan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...

. The CD debuted at No. 18 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the top 100 of the ''Billboard'' 200. The band was part of the new wave of American heavy metal. After 2012's ''

I Am I Am or I'm may refer to: Language and literature * " I Am that I Am", a common English translation of the response God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for His name ** I am (biblical term), a Christian term used in the Bible * "I Am" ( ...

'', the band went on an indefinite hiatus. In 2022, however, the band reunited with the lineup of

Jason Wisdom Jason Wisdom is the lead vocalist and bass guitarist for the Christian progressive death metal band Becoming the Archetype. Though he was born and raised in a Christian home, he states that he was never committed to Christianity until high sch ...

, Seth Hecox, and Brent “Duck” Duckett.

History

The band formed in 1999 with two vocalists, including

, guitarists Jon Star and Sean Cunningham, bassist Wes Gaither, and drummer Brent "Duck" Duckett under the moniker Nonexistent Failure. The band's second vocalist left the band before they recorded a demo. The band recorded their first demo in 2001, before joining Solid State Records, the band changed their name to The Remnant and released an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

self-titled An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

album. The band was approached by the members of

Demon Hunter Demon Hunter is an American Christian metal band from Seattle, Washington, started in 2000 by brothers Don Clark and Ryan Clark. Although the brothers created the band together, only Ryan remains, since Don left the band to take care of his ...

Cornerstone Festival Cornerstone Festival was a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around July 4 near Bushnell, Illinois, drawing some 20,000 attendees each year. In a given year, many artists that played at Cornerstone also pl ...

in 2004, who told the band to change their name, as there was punk band named The Remnants. The band changed to Becoming the Archetype. Wisdom claims that he came up with the name. In December 2004, the band signed with Solid State and released their first nationwide album, '' Terminate Damnation'', named after a song by Christian death metal band

Mortification Mortification can refer to: * Mortification (theology), theological doctrine *Mortification of the flesh Mortification of the flesh is an act by which an individual or group seeks to mortify or deaden their sinful nature, as a part of the proc ...

, mixed by

Tue Madsen Tue Madsen (born 1969) is a Danish music producer and sound engineer, who is well known in metal genre for his work with bands like Meshuggah, Dark Tranquillity, Suicide Silence, Hatesphere, The Haunted, Mnemic, Ektomorf, Cataract, ...

. The album blended elements of

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, fe ...

and

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use ...

. In 2006, the band's longtime lead guitarist, and one of the primary songwriters Jon Star decided to leave the band for personal reasons, but on good terms. ''Terminate Damnation'' is being released on vinyl by Broken Circle Records with a limited pressing of 500 in early May. The band's first tour of 2006 was a 24-date run in Europe with The Chariot and Shaped by Fate with lead guitar replacement, Alex Kenis from progressive death metal group, Aletheian. In July 2006, original guitarist Sean Cunningham left the band for his last semester in college and to pursue a full-time career. Determined to press on, in the fall of 2006, the band went back into the studio with

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

Andreas Magnusson ( The Agony Scene,

Scarlet Scarlet may refer to: * Scarlet (cloth), a type of woollen cloth common in medieval England * Scarlet (color), a bright tone of red that is slightly toward orange, named after the cloth * Scarlet (dye), the dye used to give the cloth its color * ...

, The Black Dahlia Murder, Calico System,

Twelve Tribes The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( he, שִׁבְטֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Šīḇṭēy Yīsrāʾēl, lit=Tribes of Israel) are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, th ...

); '' The Physics of Fire'', was released May 2007. The band promoted the album on "The Trilogy of Hairs" (Bring Your Own Beard, Peel Your Wig Back, Born With a Mustache) tour. The bearded skull artwork for the Bring Your Own Beard has been dubbed "Clifton", named after Aletheian/ Solamors drummer Clifton Travis Turner, and is BTA's mascot, according to Jason Wisdom. Also, Brent Duckett took an indefinite break from the band in late 2007 for personal reasons. In 2008, there were some important personnel changes. Alex Kenis left and was replaced by the band's former lead guitarist, Jon Star. In the spring of 2008 The band wrote the material for its 3rd studio album and recorded the project with stand-in drummer Brandon Lopez ( Broken Flesh) in Summer '08 with producer Devin Townsend (

Strapping Young Lad Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, '' Heavy as a Really Heavy Thin ...

). In November 2008, the band released ''Dichotomy''. The album's concept was inspired by the Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis and uses the same themes of biology vs technology, and man vs machine. The sixth song on the album, "Ransom" is, for instance, named after the main character of the trilogy. On October 31, 2008, Brent "Duck" Duckett returned. The band was featured in the 2008 Nov/Dec issue of HM Magazine and tour support also followed. In October 2009, the band released a new single titled "Necrotizing Fasciitis". The single was packaged with a Necrotizing Fasciitis-themed shirt. "Clifton", the bearded skull, returned on the single's artwork. In 2010, Becoming the Archetype's lead guitarist Jon Star left the band once again and was replaced with guitarist Daniel Gailey. '' Celestial Completion'' is Becoming the Archetype's fourth studio album on Solid State Records. It was recorded in Glow in the Dark studios in

with Matt Goldman (

Underoath Underoath (stylized as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton on November 30, 1997, in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional membe ...

, The Chariot, Vanna) from October to November 2010, and includes many new concepts. Said Seth Hecox, "we have Dennis Culp of

Five Iron Frenzy Five Iron Frenzy is an American band formed in Denver, Colorado, in 1995. Best known for playing ska punk music characterized by an offbeat sense of humor and prominent Christian themes, Five Iron was one of the pioneering figures of the Chris ...

playing trombone on a ska section of track nine," and, "we have a track of just sitar and tambura and Tablas." The band released a single, "The Magnetic Sky" on February 14, 2011, in order to promote the album. Then, beginning on Friday, March 18, one new song from ''Celestial Completion'' was released per day until the album's release, on March 29, as a part of the "12 days of BTA." A video for ''The Magnetic Sky'' premiered at MetalSucks.net on the same day of the album's release. Guitarist Seth Hecox did an interview discussing the lyrical themes of "The Magnetic Sky". In late November, after playing "over 80 shows in 12 different countries in just an 8 month span," with bands such as Creations and

The Tug Fork River Band The Tug Fork River Band was a Southern groove metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana. The group formed in 2006, but disbanded in 2013. History The band began in 2006 with the lineup of vocalist Aaron Quinn, guitarist Justin Foxworth, bassist ...

, and writing, recording, and releasing the single ''Oh Holy Night,'' the band announced that Jason Wisdom and Brent Duckett were leaving the band. It was also announced that Chris McCane would be the band's new lead vocalist and they had found a new drummer (later announced on their Facebook as Michael McClellan). Seth Hecox and lead guitarist Daniel Gailey were in the process of writing songs for the next album. In April 2012 the band announced they would enter the studio with producer Shane Frisby ( Bury Your Dead, The Ghost Inside, Corpus Christi) from May 21 through June 18 to record their fifth full-length album for Solid State Records. The band added bassist Codey Watkins, formerly of the Chattanooga, TN based hardcore band In This Hour, to the lineup, announced via Facebook. Drummer Michael McClellan left shortly before going into the studio and was replaced by Chris Heaton, formerly of the Knoxville, TN based hardcore band Dear Lovely. Their album ''

'' was released September 18, 2012. Around 2015, guitarist Dan Gailey stated that the band was talking on new material, and when asked by the interviewers about if the lineup was the same as the ''I Am'' lineup, his answer was "No". Gailey joined

Phinehas According to the Hebrew Bible, Phinehas or Phineas (; , ''Phinees'', ) was a priest during the Israelites’ Exodus journey. The grandson of Aaron and son of Eleazar, the High Priests (), he distinguished himself as a youth at Shittim with hi ...

in 2014 and then Fit for a King in 2018. On June 24, 2022, the band announced their return from their hiatus and announced their new album, '' Children of the Great Extinction'', which was released on August 26 through Solid State. The album is the first to feature Wisdom and Duckett alongside Hecox since '' Celestial Completion''. The album also features guitar cameos by former band members Alex Kenis and Daniel Gailey (currently of Fit for a King), as well as guest vocals by Ryan Clark of

Etymology and Christianity

The members are professed Christians, and the band takes its name from

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book o ...

1:26: "God said, 'Let us make man in our image.'" Since

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

was purportedly the only person to ever be sinless, He was the

archetype The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that ...

of humanity; the band's name reflects this belief. In a 2008 interview with The Full Armor of God Broadcast, Jason Wisdom summed up the band's philosophy, stating "If we are not making a difference for the Lord, then we are just out there making noise!"

Band members

Current members *

( Solamors,

Death Therapy Death Therapy is an American Christian metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. The project was formed in 2015 by Jason Wisdom, the former bassist and vocalist of Becoming the Archetype. The band has since signed with Solid State Records and have rele ...

) – lead vocals (1999–2011, 2022–present), bass (2003–2011, 2022–present) * Brent "Duck" Duckett – drums (1999–2008, 2008–2011, 2022–present) * Seth Andrew Hecox (Anchors) – rhythm guitar, keyboards, clean vocals (2004–2013, 2022–present) * Former members * Jon Star – lead guitar (1999–2006, 2008–2010) * Martin Cunningham - rhythm and lead guitar (2011–2012) * Wes Gaither – bass (1999–2003) * Jacob Franklin – rhythm guitar (2001–2004) (ex-Irreversible) * Alex "Dracula" Kenis (formerly of Synoptic Rise, Aletheian, Solamors) – lead guitar, clean vocals (2006–2008) * Sean Cunningham - rhythm guitar (1999-2006), lead guitar (2001-2006) * Brandon Lopez ( Broken Flesh, formerly of An Unearthly Child, and Vangough) – drums (2008) * Daniel Gailey – lead guitar, backing vocals (Thaddeus,

, Fit for a King) (2010–2013) * Chris McCane - lead vocals (ex-Thaddeus) (2011–2013) * Codey Watkins (ex-In This Hour) - bass (2012–2013) * Chris Heaton (ex-Dear Lovely) - drums, percussion (2012–2013) Touring musicians * Abishai Collingsworth (

The Overseer The Overseer is a Christian metal band from Bentonville, Arkansas started in 2007. They released an independent EP in 2010 entitled ''The Overseer'', and two successive studio albums with their label Solid State Records entitled ''We Search, ...

Wolves at the Gate "Wolves at the Gate" is the third story arc that spreads from the twelfth to the fifteenth issue of the '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight'' series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name. It is written by ...

) - drums (2011) * Chris McCane - vocals (2011) * Bradley Riggs (

) - bass (2011) * Michael McClellan ( '68) - drums (2011–2012) *Nate Washburn ( My Epic) - guitars (2022- present) Session musicians * Ryan Clark - Vocals (2005, 2008, 2022) * Devin Townsend - Vocals (2008) * Suzanne Richter - soprano vocals (2008) * Dennis Culp (of

) - trombone (2011) * Nathan O'Brien – trombone (2011) * Kim Stice – violin (2011) * Sean Patrick Murphy – sitar, tambura, tablas (2011) * Ivey Norton Spears - vocals (2011) * Nate Washburn- guitars (2022) Timeline

Discography

As Nonexistent Failure

Demos * ''In Loving Memory of Everything... I Never Had'' (2002)

As the Remnant

Demos * ''Death, Destruction, and Mayhem'' (2003) Studio albums * ''The Remnant'' (2004, self-released)

As Becoming the Archetype

Studio albums EPs * ''Celestial Progression'' (2012; Solid State) Singles * "Necrotizing Fasciitis" (non-album digital single, 2009, Solid State) * "O Holy Night" (non-album digital single, 2011, Solid State) * " The Time Bender" ( ''I Am'', 2012, Solid State Records) * "The Lost Colony" ('' Children of the Great Extinction'', 2022, Solid State Records) Music videos * "Endure" (''The Physics Of Fire'') – 2007 * "The Magnetic Sky" (''Celestial Completion'') – 2011 * "Breathing Light" (''Celestial Completion'') – 2011 * "The Time Bender" (''I Am'') - 2012

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Becoming The Archetype American death metal musical groups American Christian metal musical groups Heavy metal musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state) Metalcore musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state) Musical groups established in 1999 American progressive metal musical groups Solid State Records artists American technical death metal musical groups Century Media Records artists Musical quintets 1999 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Musical groups reestablished in 2022 Musical groups disestablished in 2013